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NFL Picks

NFL Picks: Packers vs. 49ers Week 1 Early Picks

Let’s take a closer look at the NFL betting odds for this Week 1 matchup between the Green Bay Packers and the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Sept. 8, with the opening kickoff scheduled for 4:25 p.m. ET on FOX.

The Green Bay Packers will attempt to avenge a pair of losses against the San Francisco 49ers last season, as the two teams open up a new season in the Bay Area.

Bounced out of the playoffs

The Green Bay Packers were bounced out of last year’s playoffs by San
Francisco in the divisional round, as it suffered a 45-31 defeat as three-point
road underdogs on Jan. 12, while going well OVER the betting total of 45.

The Packers were out-gained by a significant 579-352 margin in
that affair, as they held the ball for just under 22 minutes (21:59).

Another step

San Francisco advanced to the Super Bowl last year, but was
handed a 34-31 loss by the Baltimore Ravens as 4.5-point favorites, while going
OVER the betting total for the 10th time in its last 11 contests dating back to
the regular season.

It was a disappointing result, but the franchise is looking at
it as another step towards capturing a championship, as it was eliminated by
the New York Giants in the NFC championship the previous season.

Rodgers

NFL handicappers need to be careful in looking past Packers
quarterback Aaron Rodgers as this type of underdog in the NFL betting odds,
considering he’s thrown for 84 touchdowns and 14 interceptions the last two
seasons.

Rodgers connected on 56 of 83 passing attempts for 560 passing
yards in his two meetings with the 49ers a season ago, while throwing for four
touchdowns and two interceptions.

Kaepernick

49ers signal-caller Colin Kaepernick burst onto the NFL scene in
November last year, with starter Alex Smith going down with an injury. He
led the team to a 5-2 record over the last seven regular season games.

Kaepernick is one of the more exciting players in the league,
but he’ll likely need to spend more time throwing the ball this year, as
opposing defenses have had an entire offseason to learn how to attack the
read-option.

[gameodds]16/226879/43/us[/gameodds]

Prediction

I’m going to recommend that readers back the Pacers as one of
their early Week 1 NFL picks, as they’ll be motivated by revenge during the
offseason, while the 49ers may suffer a bit of a letdown after failing to walk away
with the Lombardi Trophy last year.